Dialectical Interrelation of Play and STEM in Early Childhood Education: An Example of the Implementation of an Educational Experiment


Published: Apr 3, 2025
Keywords:
early childhood education play professional development STEM
Iro Zachariadi
Glykeria Fragkiadaki
Abstract

In recent years, the integrated interdisciplinary STEM approach has become part of everyday education in early childhood education. At the same time, play has been recognized as a dynamic means of child development and an important learning tool. Against this background, this paper presents the initial results of an educational experiment conducted with 5 preschool teachers. In collaboration with the researcher, they designed and implemented activities aimed at achieving a balance between STEM learning and play. Through the analysis of video recordings during the planning and the implementation of the activities, the focus groups and the stimulated recall interviews, the ways in which this dialectical interrelation can be achieved in practice are presented.

Article Details
  • Section
  • 14th Panhellenic Conference of Didactics in Science Education
Downloads
Download data is not yet available.
References
Bulunuz, M. (2013). Teaching science through play in kindergarten: Does integrated play and science instruction build understanding? European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 21(2), 226–249. https://doi.org/10.1080/1350293X.2013.789195
Dale Tunnicliffe, S., & Gkouskou, E. (2020). Science in action in spontaneous preschool play – an essential foundation for future understanding. Early Child Development and Care, 190(1), 54–63. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004430.2019.1653552
Fleer, M., Fragkiadaki, G., & Rai, P. (2020). STEM begins in infancy: Conceptual PlayWorlds to support new practices for professionals and families. International Journal of Birth and Parent Education. International Journal of Birth and Parent Education, 7(4), 27–31.
Fleer, M., Fragkiadaki, G., & Rai, P. (2022). The place of theoretical thinking in professional development: Bringing science concepts into play practice. Learning, Culture and Social Interaction, 32, 100591. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lcsi.2021.100591
Fragkiadaki, G., Armeni, A., Zioga, S., & Ravanis, K. (2021). Dramatic play as a means to explore and support preschool children’s thinking about thermal insulation. Journal of Childhood, Education & Society, 2(3), Article 3. https://doi.org/10.37291/2717638X.20212395
Glauser-Abou Ismail, N., Pahl, A., & Tschiesner, R. (2022). Play-Based Physics Learning in Kindergarten. Education Sciences, 12(5), 300. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci12050300
Hasmawaty, H., Usman, U., & Intisari, I. (2023). Improving Children’s Science Skills Through Play Activities in Outdoor Play. TEMATIK: Jurnal Pemikiran Dan Penelitian Pendidikan Anak Usia Dini, 9(1), 45–54. https://doi.org/10.26858/tematik.v9i1.47953
Hedegaard, M. (2008). The educational experiment. In Studying children: A cultural-historical approach (pp. 181–201). Open University Press.
Ma, Y., Fleer, M., Li, L., & Wang, Y. (2023). A cultural-historical study of how a conceptual playworld creates conditions for personally meaningful mathematics in the Chinese kindergarten context. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 31(6), 850–865.
MacDonald, A., Huser, C., Sikder, S., & Danaia, L. (2020). Effective Early Childhood STEM Education: Findings from the Little Scientists Evaluation. Early Childhood Education Journal, 48(3), 353–363. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-019-01004-9
Park, M.-H., Dimitrov, D. M., Patterson, L. G., & Park, D.-Y. (2017). Early childhood teachers’ beliefs about readiness for teaching science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Journal of Early Childhood Research, 15(3), 275–291. https://doi.org/10.1177/1476718X15614040
Sliogeris, M., & Almeida, S. C. (2019). Young Children’s Development of Scientific Knowledge Through the Combination of Teacher-Guided Play and Child-Guided Play. Research in Science Education, 49(6), 1569–1593. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11165-017-9667-6
Stephenson, T., Fleer, M., Fragkiadaki, G., & Rai, P. (2021). Teaching STEM through play: Conditions created by the conceptual playWorld model for early childhood teachers. Early Years. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09575146.2021.2019198
Vygotsky, L. S. (1966). Play and Its Role in the Mental Development of the Child. Soviet Psychology, 5(3), 6–18. https://doi.org/10.2753/RPO1061-040505036
Vygotsky, L. S. (1998). The Collected Works of L.S. Vygotsky Vol 5. Child Psychology. Translated and edited by R.W. Rieber and M.J. Hill. New York, NY: Plenum Press.
Vygotsky, L. S. (2004). Imagination and Creativity in Childhood. Journal of Russian and East European Psychology, 42(1), 7–97.